Sellers career high lifts Ball State men's basketball over Eastern Kentucky

Ball State guard/forward Sean Sellers scored his career high of 32 points during the game against Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 10 in Worthen Arena. Ball State won 91-86 in overtime. Grace Ramey // DN
Ball State guard/forward Sean Sellers scored his career high of 32 points during the game against Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 10 in Worthen Arena. Ball State won 91-86 in overtime. Grace Ramey // DN

Ball State game leaders

Points: Sean Sellers (32)

Rebounds: Trey Moses (14)

Assists: Tayler Persons (9)

Turnovers: Tayler Persons (9)

Junior forward Sean Sellers could not be bothered from beyond the 3-point line during the Dec. 10 game against Eastern Kentucky. Way behind the 3-point line, hand in his face, shot clock winding down — Sellers didn't mind. He drilled seven of them with five of them coming in the second half nearly five feet behind the 3-point line. 

Sellers' career-high 32 points lifted Ball State men's basketball to an overtime win against the visiting Eastern Kentucky Colonels by a score of 91-86.

"It feels really good honestly," Sellers said. "Not because I had 32 points, but I think it was kind of our breakthrough game of the season.”

Twenty-two of Sellers' 32 points came in the second half — a half the Cardinals struggled with collectively. With senior forward Franko House fouling out with 7:19 left in regulation and junior guard Francis Kiapway, senior forward Ryan Weber and freshman forward Kyle Mallers shooting a combined 1-14 from the field, the Cardinals needed Sellers.

“It was just one of those days, you feel like every time you shoot it, the ball's going to go in the basket,” Sellers said. “Everybody whose played knows that feeling.”

Sellers typically scores most of his points in transition or from a pass out of the post. Whitford said due to some of his players being pushed into new positions because of injuries and foul trouble, his playbook was limited. 

"I didn’t feel like we were able to run much offense," Whitford said. "Sean was really able to stretch them out and score some big baskets for us that we needed.”

Sellers emphasized the fact that his team did a great job feeding him the ball.

“Without those guys being as unselfish as they are, I’m not going to get my looks," Sellers said. "It kind of sounds like a broken record, but how much these guys just care about winning and not just one person’s performance or how they’re doing individually."

The game was tied 19 times with 18 lead changes. Sophomore center Trey Moses embraces the close games.

“I think it’s a fun game to play because you never know what’s going to happen,” Moses said.

The game was close. Nobody knew what was going to happen. Both teams finished with 15 turnovers, 10 steals and seven fast break points. But the Cardinals had Sellers.

“I had the mindset I was going to keep being aggressive," Sellers said. "If I was open I was going to shoot."

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